Tooth and Nail
by k-shee
Summary: Denmark uncurls his right hand and brings it to his lips, teeth meeting nail with an old habitual accuracy. It gives him something to do other than staring around the warm bustling room and sipping his increasingly bitter coffee.


_De-anoning at the kinkmeme._ Please enjoy :)

**Tooth and Nail**

o

**7:14 pm.**

It's Denmark's birthday today and he's called the family two weeks before to invite them over for a quiet dinner out. They'd like that, he reasoned to himself. Just good ol' family bonding time. He's a regular at this restaurant, so the hostess gives him a nice seat and a sweet smile and he happily beams back.

Sverige's birthday would be tomorrow. Maybe they can celebrate it together while they're at it. Denmark hasn't seen his adopted nephew in a while too. He's sure Sealand would like new video games from his favorite uncle. A few books for Sve and Norge, a sweater for Finland. A nice scarf for Island.

It seems a bit backwards because it's his birthday and they should be giving him presents, but he likes giving them little gifts whenever he can. They see each other so little.

**7:19 pm.**

Well, they never called back, but maybe they're just having communication problems. It wouldn't be the first time. They're nations, after all. They get swamped with work. Denmark unconsciously flexes his right hand slowly, biting the inside of his cheek. He's already booked hotel rooms for them, in case they didn't want to stay at his house and just left without any rhyme or reason. It wouldn't be the first time either.

**7:30 pm.**

It's only been a little more than fifteen minutes. Their flights were probably just delayed. Or something.

**8:01 pm.**

That must have been some delayed flight. Denmark's never liked airplanes, likes the food served there even less. He likes traveling by boat best because it reminds him of the old days, when him and Norge used to go adventuring together.

That was a long time ago.

He feels so old.

**8:12 pm.**

To hell with it. Denmark uncurls his right hand and brings it to his lips, teeth meeting nail with an old habitual accuracy. This calms his nerves somewhat. It gives him something to do other than staring around the warm bustling room and sipping his increasingly bitter coffee.

**8:45 pm.**

By the time the one-and-a-half hour is gone, Denmark has well bitten through two fingers and is working on the third. It stings a little, but he's lost limbs before and recovered. It's no big deal. The ache in his chest, however, hurts a little more than simply a lost limb.

He picks up his phone and calls Norway. It rings for a while, and he has to patiently redial once or twice before the line picks up.

"_What do you want, Denmark?"_ Norway demands by way of greeting and Denmark is understandably startled.

"Uh, hey Nor. Where are you right now?"

"_At the office."_

"Huh…why? I thought that…"

Norway huffs an exasperated sigh. _"Denmark, I'm busy. If it's not important, don't bother me with it."_

Denmark tries to laugh it off, because if he doesn't, he might just end up crying. "Just wanted to call and see how you were doing, that's all."

"_I'm busy."_ Norway replies coldly. Hangs up.

Denmark grinds his teeth harder into the nail, and the pain is sweet in comparison to everything else.

He calls Iceland because he's next on speed dial.

"Hey, Island," He says cheerfully. "Where are you right now?"

"_Um. At my house. Hello, Danmark."_At least Iceland is polite, if chillingly so. The kid may have been Norway's brother, but Denmark had a hand in raising him too, especially when said brother left and made no effort to contact them whatsoever…

But that was the past. Forgive and forget. Or whichever comes first.

"Do you know what today is?"

"…_Thursday?_"

"Huh. So it is. Aren't you supposed to be somewhere today?"

"_I don't think so. My calendar doesn't say anything special about today. Why?"_

Denmark blinks at the dried coffee on the rim of his cup. "Oh, it's not that important. 'S nice to hear from you. Bye." He hangs up halfway through Island's goodbye.

He spends a few long moments staring at his mutilated fingers before bringing them to his mouth and chewing at the calloused edges hard enough to draw blood.

Sverige is next on speed dial, but he's out of network coverage. Finland picks up after a few rings. Denmark feels a spark of hope.

"_Hey, Den! How are you doing? It's Sweden's birthday tomorrow, you know. I'm so excited! Sealand and I just finished baking a cake for Sve and we're going to a very fancy restaurant for dinner and it's the first time we'll be bringing Sea with us in a tux…"_

Denmark twists his hand so he can rip off bloody hanging skin with his teeth as Finland continues rattling off tiny details about their anticipated family dinner which, of course, he isn't invited to. Denmark looks around him and almost laughs at the irony of the situation.

"_Oh, I'm sorry for rattling off like that. Anyway, what did you call for? And how are you?"_

"I just wanted to check up on you guys. I'd have talked to Sve, but I couldn't reach his phone. Tell him I said 'hi'. As for me, well, I'm doing pretty okay by myself."

"_Oh! Well, that's good to hear. Listen, I have to go. I have to clean up the kitchen and put Sealand to bed soon. Goodbye, Denmark!"_

"Yeah, bye…" Denmark fumbles blindly with his phone until he finds the "end call" button.

**9:03pm.**

So. They'd forgotten. Just like that. His own family. Just like that.

His own fucking flesh and blood.

Just like that.

Fuck.

Denmark gets up and gathers the bags of gifts by his chair with one hand, distractedly telling the hostess to put his coffee on his tab as he passes her by. She sends him a worried look but knows better than to press for details. Denmark walks home because he feels like it. It starts to rain. He keeps on walking.

So he spends his birthday at home, alone, watching reruns and eating tubs of strawberry ice cream like some teenaged girl and chugging down booze like a miserable, seasoned drunk.

It isn't the first time.


End file.
